The Victorian influenced blouse teamed with a nine-yard aka the Tamil Madisar saree.
Princess Victoria Gowramma’s story, the subject of a recent biography, is a somewhat sad one of a girl caught up in the politics of empire. There are a few parallels with the Pocahontas story – the conversion to Christianity, the inter-racial marriage, travel to England, the early death. Though the Gowramma-Campbell marriage is hardly the stuff of celluloid romance.
In this picture her dress is already like the modern version of the sari thanks to it being worn in the pleated (aka nivi) style. As is the fitted blouse/choli. And there is the jewellery belt, common in South India for awhile.
You can see her in western dress here as well as a painting of the Princesshere.
Perhaps more than anyone else Indira Devi’s daughter, the much photographed Gayatri Devi, consolidated the “Princess style” in India. Chiffons (often draped over the head), a single strand of pearls and simple little blouses spelt elegance and style for very many years. In many ways they represented the transition from girlhood to stylish womanhood for many Indian women.
Apparently the saris were French chiffons on to which brocade borders were stitched. That probably accounts for the numerous photos in the 30s and 40s in which this kind of sari appears.
(Source: gallery.mid-day.com)
Suniti Devi’s daughter-in-law, Indira Devi. Suniti Devi’s autobiography describes her as clever, pretty, well travelled and fluent in several languages. The autobiography also notes that the seemingly impossible union had come about because Indira gave up caste and riches to be with her son, Jit.
The high-necked, long sleeved blouses of Suniti Devi’s time are gone by this decade. Indira Devi is in a 20s influenced ensemble – those shimmering sleeveless blouses seem so common at that time. And the pearls more lavish than the simple strand that was to follow.
No doubt sari dinners should come back in vogue:)
For more than half of the 20th century, Europe was a playground for Indian royalty. And its women were photographed by Cecil Beaton and Man Ray, snubbed Wallis Simpson, made it to the NYT’s society pages and of course set fashion trends.
Of all the royals, the women of the Cooch-Behar family stand a little apart, partly due to their Brahmo upbringing. The first of them, Suniti Devi, the daughter of Keshub Chandra Sen, was often photographed by Lafayette in Western costume but she was also an elegant saree wearer. Here her blouse, decidedly influenced by Victorian fashions, has little details at the neck and the cuffs which add to the blouse but are not overpowering inspite of being paired with a rich saree. It also helps that her jewellery is minimal.
I love really intricate blouses for which the sari is the accessory like the one here with its elaborate cutwork.
With much thanks to memsaab for letting me borrow this.
Noor Inayat Khan in the 1920s on the harp. That sari is very much of the decade but more than the fashion it’s Noor’s story that is inspiring. She died in a concentration camp in 1944 and is one of the Indian recipients of the George Cross
Vintage Indian Clothing 
